INTRODUCING...

Horse racing in India has prospered principally because successive generations have kept their interest in the sport alive. The game hasn`t spread to any new centre since independence. Chennai based Dilip Thomas is a third generation race horse owner. Dilip Thomas embodies the virtues of a good race horse owner. He is a keen golfer and is on the governing committee of the Indian Golf Union.

Dilip Thomas

Last fortnight a four year old filly owned by Dilip Thomas won the Bangalore Oaks and he was looking forward to the filly running in the Bangalore Derby but unfortunately the horse had colic and will not be in the lineup. ``Winning classics is the dream of every race horse owner. Unfortunately I haven`t had many classic winners. The first classic winner for me came a decade ago through Nairn who won the Mysore Guineas as a rank outsider and this success gave me immense thrill. Nairn also won the Bangalore Oaks. I have owned quite a few good horses since then, the notable among them being Portrush and Nefyn who won last year`s Sprinters Cup at Kolkata. I also had Royal Aberdeen who was unfortunate not to win the Sprinters Cup due to traffic problems associated with that race. I am especially fond of these horses``

``I have been in the sport because of the interest I developed due to involvement of my father and grandfather. My grandfather A V Thomas owned Esquire who won the Indian Turf Invitation Cup. My father J Thomas was a Committee Member and Steward of Madras Race Club for a number of years. I love horse racing because I consider it as a sport,`` Dilip Thomas said explaining his passion for the sport. ``My children are interested in the sport and I am sure they will continue the family tradition when they grow and find their feet,` he added.

Dilip Thomas buys on an average four to five horses every year and races them at Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata. ``I also breed with horses that I own. For me the thrill of owning horses is leading them in when they win. I make it a point to be present whenever my horses run but unfortunately you are not master of your time and you end up missing an important winning occasion. When Winged Foot won the Oaks, I had to be away in London but I stayed in touch through the internet.``

Golf and horse racing are two sports that have been part and parcel of his life. Most of his horses have names of famous golf courses of the world. ``I am actively involved in golf and have been on the council of Indian Golf Union for over two decades besides representing India in international golf meets as the game`s administrator. Racing is a fascinating sport which unfortunately has not grown the way it should have. The sport requires professional governance to spur growth. We have efficient people running the sport but they have other businesses to run as well. In golf, we decide on policy matters but when it comes to execution, we hire professional people to do the job. Like when you buy a horse, you don`t train the horse yourself. Isn`t it? Whatever growth the sport has seen has only been gradual. It has not kept pace with other sports mainly because the sport is not treated as business. Importantly for the sport, it has kept attracting newer people which is the reason why it has expanded within its limitations,`` he said.

Outlining his philosophy in racing, Dilip Thomas said: ``When you buy well bred horses, you expect them to do well in classics. Like a sportsman, I take disappointments in stride. For me if the horse I buy does well and reaches the highest class, that itself is tremendous satisfaction.``

One peculiar thing about Dilip Thomas has been his loyalty to the farm that he buys horses from and the professionals he trains with. ``I have been fond of Usha Stud Farm. Most of my horses are bought from there. The late Pradeep Mehra was a golfing buddy of mine and he guided me when I was beginning to own horses. I believe in having just only one trainer in each centre.`` Quite unlike the trend of present day when horse owners distribute their horses to so many trainers that certain clubs were forced to introduce the restriction that an owner cannot have horses with more than two trainers in the same centre. Dileep Thomas has also been a sponsor of races.